Like The Rose
by Kyrissaean
Summary: How much importance can colour have on someones life? Draco and Ginny find out
1. Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: The title and song I used to base this story on was sung by B*Witched. I'm not sure if it was a copy and I don't know who wrote it. But I'd like to say that I love your song and please don't sue me for borrowing it. I have rearranged the verses a little to make my story make sense.

I also don't own the characters, they're JK Rowlings if you didn't know, and if you didn't – shame on you!

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A/N: Well my first Ginny and Draco story. I have loved them for some time and have now attempted to write one of my own. I hope I do them justice. Please read it and if you would like to review be my guest, but I am not forcing you J 

Just one last thing, I would like to dedicate this entire story to my best friend, Katy, for without her challenge or support I would not have done this. Love ya! 

Enjoy.

Like the rose

Chapter 1

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Every little word

With every lesson learned

I think I know why hearts are made of stone

Black and White. The only colours that were in my room, my house and my life. Admittedly there were other colours about but the most prominent _were_ black and white, it was all around me and I was sick of it. The coldest, emptiest colours that take all meaning out of the word colourful. Now don't get me wrong I didn't want a bright red room or anything, I'm not a colourful person but a little colour would've been nice, something to break the black hole I was in.

But it wasn't just my house; my whole life was black and white, usually black to be honest, my father's influence. Black is the colour of evil, darkness, always has been and probably always will be and my father was one of the darkest people I knew back then. Of course that meant that everyone expected me to become just like him, well almost everybody but I'll come to that later on. Just like _him?_ How wrong they all were. Anyway I didn't want to be anything like him. Okay, I admit I was really evil in my first years but you could say that I decided to change that, I wasn't cut out for that evil lark, too tiring. Of course I wasn't suddenly going to become a goody goody and be really nice, sending out apology letters to everyone I'd insulted, far from. I just didn't want to turn out like my father. I was getting deeper and deeper into his plans and I didn't know how to get out of them, was it even possible? Apparently it was.

***

1st September, first day of my 6th year at Hogwarts. The sun was shining brightly through my curtains that morning and I could tell it was going to be a beautiful day. I jumped out of bed and threw open my curtains to let in the golden light of the morning sun. Standing in front of my window I let the rays bathe me in warmth and reflect off of my red hair that I had had cut earlier in the summer, not_ really _short, just past my shoulders so it wasn't unmanageably long. I liked it and I thought it made me look older, my mum sadly didn't think the same but it was too late by then.

Turning around I looked at my room for the last time taking in the bright yellow of the walls and the deep blue of the ceiling, the bright orange sunflowers on the bedside table and the fresh green of the duvet in a heap at the end of the bed. I'd like to say now that I know they aren't the best matching colours but that was the way I liked it, I didn't think that this was well designed, I still don't but I couldn't get enough of the vibrant colours that filled my room with personality. Whenever I found something brightly coloured I always knew of the perfect place that it would fit. No wonder my room was full of so much junk.

I grabbed my brush, turned to look at my mirror on the wall opposite and looked over myself. I had grown a lot over the summer, not only in height and shape but mind as well. After my stay at Sirius' house I had matured, it seems weird I know as I never actually did anything but seeing others go through the emotions was enough. Then with the upcoming war, a sense of dread had filled the school and everyone had had to grow up a little. It made me see that everything I thought about the world was wrong. I knew my world wasn't perfect with Voldemort and all but he was one person. I soon realised my mistake, my world turned upside down once more. Wait, would that mean that my world was the right way up? I mean there aren't two upside downs before the right way up, would that mean-oh no I've gone cross-eyed.

"Ginny are you up?"

I shouted back downstairs "Yea Mum," before grabbing my things to get dressed. That day was going to be a busy one, even more than I realised.

***

Well I was on the train to Hogwarts for the last time and once more sitting in the same compartment as the two goons. I can't say friends, to be honest they weren't, I mean could you be friends with two guys who spend their lives eating food and talking about food, I wouldn't have been surprised if they slept in a banana. Don't ask me where that came from. The only downside to being in Slytherin was the fact that there was no one worthwhile in the house but me, not trying to sound arrogant but there was no one worth talking to. Of course that would be the same in the other houses, I believe I would've killed myself if I were in any other house, if my father hadn't done it first. Stupid man, I hated him so much. Anyway, Crabbe and Goyle only hung around with me to gain off of my Malfoy power and suave, okay maybe not suave but you know what I mean. They made me look important! Did you say shallow? I think not.

Back to the story though. I couldn't put up with those brainless dolts any further so I decided to return to the prefect's compartments up front. Lost in my thoughts - Malfoy's do not daydream - I didn't notice one red head moving towards me in the other direction. My first mistake. Before I knew what was happening she had tripped, I had caught her and was gazing down into her warm chocolate brown eyes right in the middle of the train aisle!

***

So here I was lying in this gorgeous guys arms gazing into his steel grey eyes. Now at this time his eyes reflected such warmth and emotion I was pinned like a butterfly on a board - a weird muggle hobby I heard about, don't ask - and I was unable to even mouth a word let alone an entire sentence. Yet to be honest he didn't look too coherent either. A bang from another compartment brought me back to my senses. 

"Th... thank you."

"No problem, you ought to be more careful next time. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine thank you," at this point he had set me down on my feet and my mind was on overdrive. On one side I was thinking - this fit guy has saved me from an embarrassing fall and wasn't laughing at me for it! He was being so nice. Yet on the other - smile, act normal, don't drool (Hermione told me I did that once, very embarrassing), you know the usual stuff. Yet going through everything I needed to do so I wouldn't freak him out I forgot to talk back.

***

Don't ask me why I had become nice all of a sudden, that isn't like me and trust me when I say I have no idea why I did this. If I was thinking clearly I would have stepped back, let her fall and laughed in her face. That is more me, no? But, as was described, I became Mr. Perfect, not that that was hard to be!

Once I had put her back on her feet we started to talk and she blew me away. Her red hair (funny how I didn't guess the signs earlier) looked so silky in it's elegant style, her sweet smile and the way her freckles (once again – signs) complimented her eyes. What was I thinking I hear you say, I was about to think the very same thing *cough*. Yet as I was on full charm mode (shut up) I could see her eyes glaze over as I could see the cogs working hard to make sure she wouldn't make a wrong move. I'm used to these funny women things.

"Hey Reds, still with me?"

*** 

Talk about trying to stay cool.

"Sorry, I'm here. What did you call me?"

"Reds"

Reds? What kind of a name is that? She asked me never to call her that again, I said I wouldn't, does she even know who I am?

"So, er, I haven't seen you around much, what's your name?" Apparently not. 

I know that I had been to the gym a lot over that summer but I didn't think I had changed that much. Had I? I was about to answer when suddenly my name was called out for me, Weasel. He was already a tomato red and seemed to have his fists up in a fighting stance. As if he could fight me!

"Hey Malfoy, what are you doing with my sister?" I swear before then I had no idea that she was a weasel, even with all the signs. What to do now?

"Ah Weasel, come to watch your sister beg for money?" This was more like me. "I heard you had to buy third hand dress robes this year, I didn't think you could get any worse off, how wrong I was." Of course at this point I had completely forgotten about Reds to insulting Weasel, not for much longer.

"Beg?" she shouted...loud, "Me beg for money," she spluttered, "from you, Draco Malfoy?" She caught my name then.

***

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Draco Malfoy! I couldn't believe it; I had been attracted to Draco Malfoy! Of course I denied it at the time. No way could I have even considered being attracted to _him_ the enemy of my brother and his friends, I'd heard way too many stories. How did I not recognise that smarmy silver haired, grey eyed...ferret! He was being so nice before. But he hadn't finished yet.

"Yes Reds, remember you fell at my feet," he sneered at this point causing his face to look as if the corner of his mouth had a fishing hook pulling it up (Do not ask me where these are coming from). "Wanting to polish my shoes for a couple of Knuts?"

"How dare you?"

***

She dared to dare a Malfoy, what else could I do?

"I'm a Malfoy, my job is to step on people like you. I would have thought you would've been used to it being a Weasley. Who knows what...or who, you might turn to for money." To hit my point home I ran my eyes slowly up her body. She went pale and her eyes widened. I think I overstepped the mark, I never wanted to cause her pain in a million years. As I said I wasn't like my father, evil. But old habits die-hard. 

"You are pure evil, you have no heart, that thing beating inside your chest is a lump of stone." Her heart must have been as hard as stone to be able to give a comeback after that, not a good one but a comeback all the same. Though she turned and fled in tears then. I wish I could go back and change that day.

***

I never understood how guys could be really nice one minute and horrible the next. I soon found it happened a lot but I never understood it any further than pride. Just one word. I learnt a lesson that day - why hearts are made of stone.


	2. Chapter 2

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Disclaimer: My first to Mike Myers, I know you are reading this really! I forgot I had 'borrowed' a line from your Austin Powers film in chapter 1. I am very sorry for this, it just fit so well. Please don't sue me! I love your work.

I do not own the characters or the song but thank you for thinking I did! J 

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A/N: Well here is chapter 2. I don't really have much to say about it and I don't want to ruin it for you as people do sometimes include spoilers. Thank you for getting this far. Enjoy.

Chapter 2

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Can't you see that we belong

Oh how I want it to be

So tell me do you feel the way I feel

And when you're far away

Forever love will stay

Keep this loving feeling deep inside

It was soon Christmas and run-ins with Malfoy had been few, though those few couldn't be described as small. I gave as good as I got thanks to my Weasley temper and Malfoy soon realised he couldn't win against me. Ever since that day on the train he had been on my mind often, yet he never insulted me like he did then. Maybe he realised how low and hurtful it was, maybe he had decided to be nice. Or maybe Colin will decide he doesn't like taking photos. What did he have against me anyway? 

I had decided then that it was time to write my name down on the list of people that were staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. My parents had decided to go on a holiday by themselves that year and Ron and Harry were going to spend their Christmas with Hermione's family. I was invited but I decided against it, I had felt she'd only asked me as she was feeling sorry for me being on my own. I knew they'd rather be on their own, anyway Christmas at Hogwarts should be fun. Reaching the parchment pinned on the board I quickly scanned the names, not many people were staying this year. Then I saw one name that stood out from the others in a bold, thick black. **_Draco Malfoy_**. 

***

That stupid red head had screwed me up so bad that day. She must've cursed me or something as from that day on she wasn't out of my head often. Anything anybody said would remind me of her; everything was linked to her. I could have linked the word 'camel' to her if given time.

We had met a few times in the Hogwarts corridors, insults flying, most half-hearted. Yet I won every time, she knew that she'd never win against me. One particular time I remember though was in the library. 

I was studying in the library late one evening, being my privilege as a prefect, when I heard a noise. A bang if you will, or maybe it was a crash, though it could have been a thump. So as it was dark, being night and all, I took out my wand and moved towards the sound. Stupid? Nah, I was the best in the school; no one would dare hurt me. As it happened I was right on the hurt thing. Moving around a particularly spooky bookcase with my wand held in front of me I didn't even think that the noise could have come from behind me. It's an echoey place! You would not have done any better!

"BOO!" A hand had placed itself on my shoulder and I hate to admit it but I did scream…like a girl. No wonder she found it so funny, Miss Virginia 'Reds' Weasley was rolling on the floor behind me in fits of laughter with tears running down her cheeks. I stood there glaring at her for at least a full 5 minutes, she had still not stopped but had moved on to holding her stomach in pain from laughing so hard. The tears of laughter I noticed had turned to tears of pain and even though she had scared the life out of me and laughed at me I couldn't have left her like that. I picked up my glass of water from the table I had been studying from and knelt down beside her. Pulling her up so her head rested against my shoulder I instructed her to breathe deeply while I stroked her silky hair and spoke soothing words to calm her down. When she had calmed down enough I gave her the water and told her to take sips from it. 

I realised that once again I had a Weasley in my arms. "We should really stop meeting like this." A pathetic attempt at a joke I realise but it was the best I could come up with at the time. Her reply was much like the first. "Th…thanks…again." And she smiled; small I admit but the power of that one smile hit me right in the stomach. No girl had ever got that reaction out of me before. I felt her smile could stop the rain, bring out the sun and shoot rainbows all over the baby blue sky. A Weasley, that wasn't right! Girls always chased me; I'd have fun with them and then dump them. They just bored me, all of them bimbo's and brainless ninnies.

I then looked down into her eyes but soon wished I hadn't, they had looked so warm and caring staring into mine, I couldn't breathe and a huge overwhelming feeling that I wanted to kiss those rosy lips took over me. I panicked. I tore my eyes from hers, pushed her off me and stood up quickly. Ginny – no, Weasley fell back to the floor without my support behind her. So mumbling an apology I offered her my hand, I saw the irritation died in her eyes and she took it. The touch caused an electric shock make a course up my arm. It wasn't a real shock of electricity mind you. She didn't have muggle wires and plugs attached to her, that would have been scary… and dangerous. Though due to the touch I had pulled her up with a little more force than I intended so she was thrown against me. How humiliating. She stood in front of me, her body flush against mine; her eyes level with my chin before she looked up. She must've heard my sharp intake of breath as she stepped backwards, though it might have been because she could see me better from there, I was a little taller than she was. 

"You're a more caring person than I first took you for Draco." My name had rolled off her tongue as if it was made just for her to say. No one but my parents called me that and my father said it like it was the name of a disease rather than the name of his only son. Like I was called Haemorrhoids or something. But I'm getting off the story. She didn't stop talking there. "I am sorry for scaring you, it was wrong but I couldn't help myself." She smirked and a spark of humour flashed in her eyes. "It was worth it all though just to hear you scream like a girl," and her smirk turned into a huge grin. Brilliant, the story was going to be all around the school by breakfast. I was wrong about that too. "I won't tell anybody, I know what damage it will do to your reputation." My eyes widened at that, she cared about my reputation? "It will be more fun between the two of us anyway." She yawned. "It's late, I'd better get to bed, see you around." And with that she was gone, just like that, leaving me very confused. 

I'm still confused about that day to this day. Reds completely changed her opinion of me because I helped her calm down? Because I screamed like a girl? Don't let me mention that again. How about because of my drop-dead gorgeousness, no she would've noticed that before. Weird. Why didn't I make a sarcastic retort? Get her back for scaring and mocking me? To tell you the truth I was speechless, with the way she was openly mocking me, almost flirting. With the feelings that I felt towards her, the way she fit in my arms as if she were made to go there. Of course I didn't think this then. I had convinced myself that I had given her this round, as she was so fragile and pathetic from her moment of stupidity.

***

I hadn't seen Malfoy again until Christmas Day. I thought he was avoiding me in case I scared him again. I'm not exactly sure why I did that in the first place. I didn't think I would cause that reaction, he screamed like a little girl! It was so funny. Yet he was so kind when my laughter turned to pain. I dreamt of being in his arms that night, it felt so right and I felt safe. I had felt something between us again, I had thought I'd felt something on the train but had dismissed it. I had also wanted him to kiss me, as I was staring into those grey eyes, but that was just too scary to think about. I had to keep reminding myself he was a Malfoy and that those occurrences were very rare occurrences. I kept getting visions of Ron's livid red face in my head. A very good thing he was away over Christmas, very good indeed.

Christmas Day. I had awoken early and had opened all my presents, the usual jumper from my mother, sweets from all the boys and a book from Hermione. Once I had done that I had felt at a bit of a loss. Only three other Gryffindors beside myself had stayed on, five Ravenclaws, six Hufflepuffs and three Slytherins, which made a grand total of eighteen people. This meant of course that only one table was used for meal times, it caused much tension. But again I am moving off the point of my story. Where was I?

I was at a bit of a loss, I doubted anyone was up as early as me and even if they were I didn't particularly want to speak to any of them. So I had grabbed my cloak and ran outside to walk around the Hogwarts grounds until breakfast. The fresh snow looked soft and crunchy to walk on and the air would wake me up. 

The grounds looked like a muggle postcard. Everything was covered in a white layer taking away all the colour, yet it looked beautiful. I hadn't been walking for more than 5 minutes when I saw a tall figure facing the lake. He was wearing a jet-black coat outlined by grey fur and a charcoal black owl was perched on his shoulder. Then suddenly the owl burst into flight across the white snow topped roofs to the owlery. He had been staring down at something in his hand before he screwed it up in his fist and moved his gaze across the lake, lost in his thoughts. He looked unhappy. So I moved over to him, disturbed by the look in his eyes, no one was supposed to look like that on Christmas Day. No matter how insufferable they could be. I gently placed my hand on his arm, "Draco?"

***

I jumped. "Draco?" I turned and was about to snap at whoever had called my name when my eyes once more caught two brown ones, full of concern. I was too tired to even try to fight with her.

"Reds? What are you doing down so early?" 

She replied flippantly with a wave of her small hand. "It's Christmas Day I'm always up this early, but what are _you_ doing up so early?" and it was weird but I wanted to tell her everything, to get it off my chest. But I couldn't, what would that do to her? Yet it seemed that, in the end, she was incredibly perceptive. "I couldn't sleep and I just got an owl from my father."

"He didn't want you staying here over Christmas did he? He wants you to follow in his footsteps, you don't want to and can't tell him this." She literally blew me away, spot on. 

"How did you?"

"Everyone knows what your father is like, it was obvious that he would want his only son to be like him. Yet I see a kindness in your eyes at times and I know you could never do that."

"No, I couldn't tell him, I have no choice, you see my father-" I paused, how could I make her understand? "In my family, my life, everything is black and white."

"You do not have to follow the trend." And with that she grabbed my hand and walked me across the grounds. A few minutes later she stopped beside a bush. I was a little irritated by then, what was she doing? "Weasel!" she placed a soft finger against my lips. I stopped breathing and it took everything I had not to kiss it. Her eyes widened at what she had done but had soon composed herself once more. She drew my gaze into a circle to see what was around me.

"If you look all around us, there is white. One single colour, but that is just surface colour, what is underneath is just as important, sometimes more so." She drew my attention to the bush beside us, covered in white just like everything else. Reaching a hand towards it she whispered "look" and started to brush away the snow, uncovering the most beautiful deep red rose I had ever seen. Just that one rose brought a rainbow full of colour to the white scenery, just an insignificant rose in acres of grounds. "Just one thing can tip the balance. And this is just like people Draco, on the outside is one thing that most people see, usually the one thing people want you to see about them. Yet on the inside is something completely different that shows our true selves. Just like this rose. On the outside a white sheet, take away the white sheet and you have a beautiful creation with enough colour for everything else."

It was like a door had been opened, I understood what she was saying. Suddenly I wasn't just seeing in black and white, I could see colour, I could see her. 

I turned to gaze into her eyes. "Thank you," I whispered and I lowered my head to brush my mouth against hers.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Every little pain_

_Fans a bitter flame_

_Nothing stops me loving you_

_Turn another page_

_The story will never fade_

_Sleep with thoughts of you until daylight_

I couldn't believe it; I had kissed Ginny Weasley. And if that wasn't enough I then asked her to have her Christmas lunch with me! I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking with my brain that was for certain. But that kiss, it totally blew me away. I wasn't inexperienced in my seventh year, I had been with girls, but never had one kiss felt like that. But it wasn't just feeling, it was all the senses. My lips touched hers and, it sounds really corny – like a cheesy romantic muggle film or book, but all my senses heightened and colourful pictures flashed through my mind. Thousands of tropical birds bursting into flight in front of a huge yellow sun reflecting off a lake, A sunset staining the clouds crimson and gold, a brilliant emerald butterfly. So many things that she seemed to pass over to me. She unlocked all the colour that my father had pushed away to make way for his black world. 

So after she had shown me the rose and I had looked into her stunning brown eyes once more I couldn't stop myself. I cupped her face in my hands and slowly bent to kiss her. She hesitated at first but when I started to pull away she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck pulling me closer. Call me a typical guy but at that moment I didn't want to stop, I wanted to stay in her embrace forever. Lifting my head I rested my forehead against hers, gazing once more into her warm eyes. We stayed there until Ginny realised that we would be late for breakfast. So asking her to meet me afterwards I told her I was going to stay there for a bit longer and sent her to the hall. I stood there staring at the rose for a moment, marvelling in it before I started across the snow-covered grounds after Ginny. My day had suddenly become a lot better.

* * *

What I was feeling at that time was so huge, bigger than anything I had experienced. Everything was overwhelming. The worst thing about it all was that he just happened to be the worst enemy of my brother and his friends. The guy I fall in love with (though I didn't know it then) had to be the guy that at least one of my brothers hated already – the odds were against me. 

Though that wasn't going to dishearten me, not until the end of the Christmas holidays anyway. Ron and the others being away and all. Our first 'date' I suppose you could call it was after our breakfast in the grounds. We met in the entrance hall (original huh!) and went for a walk. We didn't really say much; it was more of a comfortable silence. It can be really awkward and all you can think is "I need to say something" but with Draco it was really comfortable, like I'd known him forever and we didn't need words anymore.

When I was younger, before I went to Hogwarts and all my brothers stayed at school, I used to watch the children in the fields building piles of snow. One year I had plucked up the courage to go over and ask to join them in whatever they were doing. I think they were quite shocked that I had no idea what a snowman was. But that day is one of the best days I have ever had.

But I am off my subject once more - you are making me digress. So, after we had walked a fair way and we had come to a fairly large, thick patch of snow I stopped and began to roll my first ball to become his body. The expression on Draco's face when he turned around was priceless. 

"What _are_ you _doing?_"

"What does it look like?" I replied taking my attention off the ball for a moment and placing my hands on my hips. "I am building a snowman!" He sneered (so unlike him) and told me that he was not going to act like a muggle and build a stupid muggle snowman. Ten minutes later Draco was helping me smooth down the snowman's body. 

Another ten minutes later and we had the entire body and head of the snowman standing in the grounds. All we needed now were the features. Draco started wandering around looking for stones for his eyes, mouth and buttons while I ran to the kitchens to ask the eager kitchen staff for a carrot. When I got back Draco had already given the snowman all the stones for his features and a scarf and tie – in Slytherin colours.

I stood still for a while not sure what to do. It showed our first stepping-stone, we were in different houses, enemy houses.

"It looked too black and white, it needed colour." He informed me. _Colour_. Taking off my scarf I moved up to the snowman and took off his Slytherin one. Tuning out Draco's protests I held up the ends of both scarves and twisted them around each other before placing the newly made scarf back around his neck. A multi coloured one that was neither one house nor the other, just four different colours intertwined. I stepped back and stood next to Draco awaiting his reaction.

* * *

What could I say to that? I was brought up to believe that Slytherin were the elite and Gryffindor the scum on their shoe. Ginny was trying to teach me I was wrong about that, yet it is still hard to let go. And if I wanted to be with her, which I did, then I would have to get used to the fact that she is in Gryffindor wouldn't I. Didn't mean I had to like it though. Of course it was a good omen that she didn't just exchange my scarf for hers, showed that she was trying to forget the barriers.

"That's better." 

She turned to me and gave the sweetest smile I had ever seen. My mouth went dry; I wished she wouldn't do that. I moved to kiss her but she held her hand up in a halting gesture. She bent down and picked up the carrot she had dropped. 

"One final touch," she said with a flourish and drilled the carrot into the centre. "Perfect," she stated turning around.

"Perfect," I whispered back and reached out my hand to pull her to me again. Closing my eyes I bent my head to her when suddenly I felt freezing cold sludge drip its way down my back. I opened my eyes to see Ginny smirking (which I must say looked fetching on her) with more snow in her hand. I stood shocked for a moment before moving towards her planning to get her back. She must have realised what I was doing though and squealed before running away.

I bent down to pick up some snow before running after her, catching her easily I held her still as I placed the snow down her neck watching her wriggle with the cold.

"I can't believe you just did that!" she spluttered with a grin. 

"No Malfoy lets someone put snow down their back without getting them back for it."

"You have a _rule_ for that?" I stopped, stumped, I never thought of it like that. I opened my mouth to reply when she ran away again towards the snowman and started to throw snowballs at me. I retaliated and soon we were chasing each other round the snowman getting covered in snow. 

* * *

I had never had such a great day since I made a snowman the first time. I had a sinking feeling that it was to do with a snowman as they had featured in both days but I pushed that aside to daydream. 

The next month was heaven. We kept our relationship secret from everybody as Draco said people wouldn't understand and might make my life miserable or something. I could see where he was coming from so I did what he asked and said nothing. We met up mostly in the evenings - outside, in the astronomy tower, wherever we could find to be honest and they were always great, we'd talk about everything and anything. I felt I had a real friend at last and in my opinion it couldn't have been anyone better. But of course it wasn't meant to last.

* * *

That fateful day was a cold one near the end of January. I was on my way up to the Astronomy tower to see Ginny on our 'one month anniversary', which she insisted we celebrate when I met Pansy. 

"Common Dracie," I shuddered at her nasal voice and my given nickname, "I know you are seeing someone that you aren't telling anybody about, you are on your way to see them now, and if it's so secretive then it must be someone terrible! I have my own suspicions. Do you remember the time Professor Sprout came into the hall announcing that two students had left their scarves outside? A Slytherin and a Gryffindor one, and though you didn't own up I knew you hadn't got a scarf as you weren't wearing it. And think of my shock when I overhead Ron asking his sister where hers was. Now putting one and one together to make three I have come to the conclusion that you are seeing a Weasley. Am I right?"

"No," I said with a sigh as if I was explaining something easy to someone for the umpteenth time. "You are not right. Let me get this straight. You think I, a Malfoy, would even contemplate going near a Weasley? You know how I feel about them, their vile red hair and freckles, their muggle loving dad. How could you believe that I would ruin my reputation with dirt like that? Taint my hands with that whore? You obviously don't understand class Pansy _dear_…or mathematics. Now I have no time to stand here and chat, I'm - "

When I turned around I saw Ginny staring at me, ghostly pale with tears slowly making their tracks down her cheeks. She had heard everything I had said. I couldn't get my mouth to work; I didn't know what to say. So I stood and stared at her staring at me. Finally she turned away and slowly began to walk back the way she had come.

"Can't you handle the truth?" Pansy yelled after her before Ginny broke into a run and sprinted out of my life.

* * *

In my dormitory crying my eyes out within my shut curtains I felt as if I had lost everything in one day. My heart and soul had been ripped and slashed to pieces and crushed into the floor so it couldn't be mended. Still crying I got changed and slipped under my covers trying to shut out everything going through my mind. All my memories of us together from the latest to our first meeting flashed across my closed eyelids as if I was saying goodbye to all of them one by one. And then, still thinking of him, I silently cried myself to sleep.


End file.
